1. Playoff beards? There's an app for that

2. Check-ins galore

In 2010, the NHL became the first pro sports league with a dedicated Foursquare presence -- one it plans to expand on for this year's playoffs.

3. Twitter gets a Stanley Cup overhaul

The league's Twitter account has more than 1 million followers. For the playoffs, the NHL is using its profile to promote its two official hashtags, #StanleyCup and #BecauseItsTheCup.

4. Communication in 140 characters or less

Like many pro sports leagues, the NHL has found Twitter a powerful tool for connecting and engaging with fans.

5. Instagram grows in popularity for sports, too

The NHL and other teams and league's have also found Instagram to be an increasingly popular platform among fans. For the playoffs, the league will update its official profile with photos showing the action and atmosphere.

6. Everybody remain calm

Some photos simply speak to the passion for hockey that NHL fans share.

7. The game is thick

The NHL's Instagram feed gives a preview of the types of content fans can expect on that network during the Stanley Cup playoffs.

8. NHL worldwide

The NHL International app on Facebook allows fans to connect with the league's diverse array of playoff players from around the world.

When the National Hockey League's Stanley Cup playoffs start Wednesday evening, the on-ice action will have more social complements than ever before.

An official Facebook page for the iconic Stanley Cup trophy, an app that lets fans grow virtual "playoff beards" and a crowd-sourced photo project are all among the digital initiatives the league will roll out between now and the final championship series in two months.

"This year is a lot more comprehensive with more platforms and points of contact that we haven't been a part of in the past," the NHL's senior vice president of business development and strategic planning Steve McArdle told Mashable. "It's a combination of new technologies and corporate partners who want to become more aggressive in the social space. The concept of understanding fan needs and behaviors has really evolved."

Studies have shown hockey fans to be among pro sports' most affluent, educated and tech-savvy, so the league's heavy social push makes sense. But while the 2012 playoffs represent a step up, the NHL has been digitally active for years. According to McArdle, that emphasis was born in part out of external circumstances.

"We've traditionally been underserved by traditional media, so filling out our digital platform has been a priority for us," he says.

Wednesday morning, the league made public its official Stanley Cup Facebook page, which will share the trophy's whereabouts, history and related stories with fans. Later this week, it will use the main NHL Facebook page to launch a "social video player," to directly stream content that will be easy for fans to share and, the thinking goes, spread playoff fever beyond hardcore viewers.

Director of digital business development Devi Mahadevia told Mashable this year is the NHL's first time taking advantage of Facebook's open graph platform.

The league's social initiatives extend far beyond Facebook, however. Beginning in May, fans will be able to tweet photos to the @NHL Twitter account using the hashtag #BecauseitstheCup to be included in a Stanley Cup-shaped photo mosaic showcasing hockey fans.

In 2010, the NHL became the first pro sports league with a dedicated Foursquare presence, and this year will build on that by encouraging fans to earn an official Stanley Cup badge by checking in at a playoff game. Fans can also get a discount at the NHL Powered by Reebok store in New York City by checking into the Stanley Cup fountain in Times Square between Wednesday and Friday. And Draw Something has entered the picture as well, with the NHL sponsoring words including "puck," "slap shot," "Zamboni" and "hat trick" beginning Wednesday afternoon.

What do you think of the how the NHL is using social media to promote the Stanley Cup Playoffs? Check out the slideshow below for more examples and let us know in the comments.

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